On the misfortunate couple's wedding night, all of the young men from the surrounding area gathered together outside their window, dressed in grotesque costumes and masks to conceal their identity. They then proceeded to "seranade" the newlyweds with kettles, horns, drums and crackling fiddles; anything that would make the worst possible noise.
They would only go away after being invited in to drink to the bride, although sufficient money to take the party to the nearest pub would usually suffice. If the groom refused their demands he would be hauled from his home and sometimes even tarred and feathered.
When some of the expelled Acadians eventually made their way to the new Louisiana territory, they brought the tradition with them in it's original form. The same criteria applied but also included any wedding that was not followed by a dance. They would stand outside the couple's window banging pots and pans and shouting "Charivari, Charivari", until they were promised a suitable ball. Empty
promises would only guarantee a return visit, so you could usually expect a dance at the house sometime in the very near future; often the same evening. This custom is now part of the "Cajun" culture that originated with the Acadian exiles, but was practiced in Canada long before it made an appearance on the Bayou
Light on Dark Corners had several suggestions unique to those who were marrying for the second time or uniting with someone older:
DIFFERENCE IN AGE - It is generally admitted that the husband should be a few years older than the wife. The question seems to be how much difference. Up to twenty-two, those who propose marriage should be about the same age; however, other things being equal, a difference of fifteen years after the younger one is twenty-five, need not prevent a marriage. A man of forty-five may marry a woman of twenty-five more safely than one of thirty, a girl below nineteen, because her mental sexuality is not as mature as his, and again her natural coyness requires more delicate and affectionate treatment than he is likely to bestow. A girl of twenty or under should seldom if ever marry a man of thirty or over, because the love of an elderly man for a girl, is more fatherly than conjugal; while hers for him is like that of a daughter to a father. He may pet, flatter and indulge her as he would a grown-up daughter, yet all this is not genuine masculine and feminine love, nor can she exert over him the influence every man requires from his wife.
